On Thursday, March 9th, Senate and House Republicans presented their Safe & Sound Minnesota public safety plan to confront the threat of violent and repeat criminals, strengthen police and improve training for law enforcement, and hold judges and prosecutors accountable with public data and information.

Democrats continue to ignore our state’s surge in violent crime. Catalytic converter theft is on the rise, but instead of putting harsh penalties in place, Democrats passed a burdensome mandate on scrap metal dealers that purchase these devices. In response to the spike in stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles, the Attorney General launched a civil investigation into the companies. This is a misguided way to address our crime crisis. We need to crack down on the criminals responsible for the crimes, not businesses.

The package includes 17 different bills from 15 different Republican authors across the state, including new laws that would:

• Add a new Crime of carjacking to the state statute
• Increase sentences for those convicted with at least two prior crimes of violence.   
• Increases the penalty for transferring a firearm to an ineligible person
• Provide $1 million for Pathway to Policing, the award-winning program that brings new recruits into public safety from other careers
• Appropriate $5 million for college scholarships and technology to help law enforcement students prepare for their roles, and $15 million for bodycams for law enforcement
• Put in place transparency and accountability measures for the state’s court
• Understand how many felony-level offenses go uncharged
• Create a new mandatory minimum sentence for dangerous criminals who commit crimes with a firearm

Click HERE to view the full bills that make up the Safe & Sound Minnesota plan

The Elections Committee is currently reviewing Senate File 1827, a crucial bill that would significantly impact the definition of major political parties. The bill proposes reclassifying a major party as any political party that secures at least 10% of the vote in two consecutive elections. The proposed changes would strip major party status from any party that fails to meet the threshold. The implication of this is that such parties would be required to attain 5% signatures of the last election, to have their candidate on the ballot, thus adding extra hurdles for their supporters to participate in the democratic process. 

In a democratic society, it is crucial to ensure that every voice is heard. The proposed changes in Senate File 1827 have the potential to silence minority political parties and their supporters, thus undermining the democratic ideals that our country stands for. It is important to consider the impact of this bill on the political landscape and take measures to preserve the fundamental rights of every citizen to participate in the electoral process, regardless of their political affiliation.

Senator Calvin Bahr

Minnesota Senate, District 31

Choose Freedom,

Please don’t hesitate to contact me for help with any state issue or legislative initiative: [email protected] or at (651) 296-3219.